This thrilling story follows the journey of a young woman as she discovers the secrets of the night and the power of her own strength. With a captivating plot and vivid characters, Walther creates a world that is both mysterious and enchanting. Readers will be enthralled by the suspenseful twists and turns of this page-turner, as well as the inspiring message of self-discovery and empowerment. What Happens After Midnight is a must-read for anyone looking for an exciting and thought-provoking adventure.

To start out this book is super cute and quick to read. I read this in one sitting. The premise is fun and entertaining.

My only real downside is that the end feels so rushed. There’s all this build up to the prank and the romance and then just the last 35% of the book falls flat.

Still solid 3 stars for me because it is a fun read.

“Even though we already knew our fates, it felt like we were holding onto each other for dear life.”

Overall vibes rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, this book was a GOOD. TIME. It gives second chance romance, it gives pining, it gives misadventure and it gives giggles! I was hooked with the mention of Taylor Swift and Schitt’s Creek references, but it was the earnestness of the characters as well as the combination of teenage misadventure and end of high school posterity that captured my heart! While it wasn’t quite “I would die for these characters” level love, it was one that I would read again, and will likely purchase a physical copy of when it releases in July 2023!

Fat-friendly rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️, no representation of bigger bodies but also no vilification of bigger bodies - pretty darn neutral, though I would always prefer some positive representation of bigger bodies, as you know!

Spice rating: Just some very sweet and steamy kisses

Recommend?: Yes! If you like YA books, sweet pining, and some silly adventures, this one is definitely for you!

3.5 stars.

There are books that shock you or blow your socks off, there are books that provide some major insight to the reader or has a fun, surprising twist. While this story provides none of these, it was still an enjoyable read and is definitely a book worth packing in your beach or pool bag,

This was a refreshing, light-hearted YA book that didn't dramatize the high school first love (I appreciated how sweet and innocent the relationship was compared to many that romanticize drama in a high school relationship). If you loved 10 Things I hate About You or She's All That, you will eat this story up.

Lily Hopper receives an anonymous letter from the class Jester requesting her help to participate in the senior class prank at her boarding school. Little does she know the class Jester is none other than her ex-boyfriend, Taggart Swell, who she still has feelings for. Lily embarks on an adventure with Tag and those he has chosen to help pull of the prank. As the two team up to pull of the prank, it seems like Lily’s lingering feelings may be reciprocated.

This was a really fun, nostalgic, and enjoyable read. I loved all of the characters and how it centers around the senior class prank. The author does such a great job of writing high school seniors and makes you remember what it felt like to feel things at that age.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Net Gallery & Sourcebooks Fire for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

KL Walther has a way of writing that makes you instantly apart of the story.

Slightly inspired by Walther's Father and his Senior prank, WHAM follows Lily Hopper, voted "Teacher's Pet," in her last few weeks of high school. But when Lily anonymously gets tagged by the senior class Jester to pull one of the most risky senior pranks in the school's history, will she put her goody-two-shoes reputation behind to pull it off?

The adventure and romance and rivalries start almost immediately, making it easy to lose yourself within the pages. It is a super fun and easy read filled with second chance romance, boarding school hijinks, Taylor Swift references, and one giant scavenger hunt. What Happens After Midnight will leave you wanting more.

I give What Happens After Midnight four stars.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book and all of the Taylor Swift references. I liked the pacing of this, and I loved all of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

4 Stars

This isn’t my typical read but it was so cute!
What Happens After Midnight is a YA second-chance romance that follows Lily Hopper, a senior about to graduate boarding school, as she’s recruited by the “jester” (who just so happens to be Lily’s ex-boyfriend) to help pull of the senior prank.

From the boarding school setting, to the characters sneaking around campus all night to complete the senior prank, and of course, all of the Taylor Swift (and other pop-culture) references - this book was so much fun!

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Fire & NetGalley for the eARC!

This was a highly anticipated read for me as I absolutely loved The Summer of Broken Rules. This book had the same incredible sense of setting that made you feel like you were immersed in the story- the characters were also really likeable and relatable which is hard to come by in a lot of YA romance. Honestly I would have loved this book as much as the author’s previous one if there weren’t so many oddly timed/places Taylor Swift references? I know it was intentional to include them but I felt like there were way too many and by about half way through they got old and then after that they made me irrationally angry.

This was a delight to read! It was pleasantly fast paced, the Taylor Swift references were like little treats every time I stumbled upon one, and it was just so enjoyable to throw myself into Lily's world for a few hours. The characters were great & I felt like it was an accurate representation of high school behavior, which is something I've found to be hit or miss with some YA novels. It was low angst, even with the feelings Lily still has for her ex-boyfriend, and overall I found myself smiling more often than I expected while reading.

Definitely pick this one up!!

Wow, KL Walther just keeps getting better and better, in my opinion. This is my ultimate favorite of her three books so far (and I adored the last one). I just loved it. It felt warm and cozy and loving and honest. I adored all the characters, from Lily to Tag to Alex to the faculty at the school, including Lily's mom and her boyfriend who have total Lorelai Gilmore and Luke vibes. Okay, I didn't love Daniel, but...I enjoyed disliking him!

In her most recent book we return to boarding school where Lily, a "fac-brat" is about to graduate but not without a couple of regrets. Her status as the school's Good Girl is starting to make her feel restless. And then there's The One who Got Away--or more accurately, The One She Broke Up With but Still Completely Loves, Tag. Those two things end up intersecting to bring Lily along with a crew of friends--and of course, Tag--as they try to pull off the ultimate school prank.

One thing I've loved about this author's past two novels is that they buck the trend of "falling, falling, conflict, one kiss at the end and now it's over" plots that are almost universally used in YA romance, to the point where it feels formulaic and best and frustrating at worst. I like seeing characters together. I like knowing what their relationship is like not just as friends, but as romantic partners. And KL Walther has been so good about this. Tag and Lily's relationship is written so well; I feel like I've known them for years and I feel like I really got to see them together. And somehow, there's still suspense. I still get to root for them. And their loyalty and love for each other is never in doubt--it's much more about clearing up insecurities from the past and understanding where their own personal issues affected their relationship together. It's believable. It's sad because it rings so true. It's beautiful because you feel how much they love each other. It's so well done.

Some bonus factors: boarding school, the sex-positivity that we've come to expect from KL's books, amazing mother/daughter relationship, Schitt's Creek references, cats, Taylor Swift references, and a realistic depiction of Type I Diabetes, insulin pump included.

If you're a fan of fluffy YA romance with some soul searching, this is a must read.

the lowdown: As Lilly Hopper enters the final weeks of her senior year at boarding school, she can’t help but feel like the “fun” of high school has gotten away from her — that is until she is chosen to be a part of the infamous Jester’s court to carry out the senior class prank. Along with her ex-boyfriend, Tag, and a court filled with their mutual friends, Lily and the team work to pull off the ultimate prank. However, their late night adventures also force Lily to face her unresolved feelings. Following the group throughout the night, you as the reader feel their missteps and victories alongside them and are cheering them on all the way!

Filled with Schitts Creek references, it’s own take on the Lorelei-Rory relationship that Gilmore fans love, and many, many, many Taylor Swift lyrics: this book gifts fans of the three many additional smiles throughout. What Happens After Midnight easily joins @klwalther9 ‘s Summer of Broken Rules among our favorite beachy reads and we’re anxiously awaiting the release of Maybe Meant To Be this fall 🍂

🐚 Thank you @netgalley for our advanced readers copy. WHAM is currently available for preorder.

I decided to give this author another chance; it worked better than the first time, just a little.
This book is a fast sweet read, with good structure, however, I have some problems with the execution, the writing is messy and the dialogues kind of forced, maybe this is a problem with this author, long and all-over-the-place chapters.
it was difficult to connect with the e characters, although, in a few sections, they made me smile.
Overall, even when It's not memorable, it's a nice read.

It's their senior year, Tag and Lily are no longer together and there are too many things unsaid. That's why when Tag becomes a Jester and is supposed to 'commit' the senior prank he invites Lily to join him and hopfully reignite the flame that was between them. Will he succeed both with carrying out the prank and getting the girl back? Read to find out!
So far, I've really enjoyed the book by K. L. Walther because they're really fast paced and the male characters are incredibly lovable, they are really gentle and understanding. There also the heroine who most of the time is unsure of her feelings but since it's the coming of age novel soon she finds out who she really is and what she wants from life.

Honestly, I’m quite disappointed. I loved The Summer of Broken Rules, but this book didn’t live up to what I was expecting.

What Happens After Midnight has good bones, but the execution was just really off for me. Some of the plot points didn’t work for me and the pacing and overall structure felt weird and messy. Which is so disappointing because I really wanted to love this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a pretty simple book - everything you need to know is in the synopsis - but I think that simplicity lends well to the atmosphere of youth and freedom the story is trying to create. It's such a fun and cute concept that sets the foundation for a really sweet coming of age story.

But I just could not click with the writing. The pacing is super inconsistent, there are really random shifts between past and present that aren't clearly marked which make the narrative feel disjointed (this could just be an ARC issue), the dialogue is cringey at times, and the ending feels a bit rushed.

So it's a bummer that the execution of the story doesn't quite live up to its potential.

This book had the same vibes as Summer of Broken Rules, which I loved. Full of Taylor Swift and Schitt’s Creek references. Such an enjoyable read.

This book in 3 words: Sweet. Adventurous. Addicting. 

Lily Hopper, about to graduate from boarding school, gets "tagged" as an accomplice by the Jester (the lucky soul who organizes the senior prank). With some internal debate, Lily decides to help the Jester, only to discover it's her ex-boyfriend, Tag. What could happen as you run around campus, all night, trying to execute a complex prank?

My first read by K. L. Walther and certainly won't be my last. It felt like I was running around with Lily and Tag; the setting and descriptions were vivid and clear. I loved the way this story seemed to capture feelings of nostalgia of my own personal teenage experiences, which I think is the sign of a great YA book. What Happens After Midnight feels like an honest snapshot of the teenage experience, which is difficult to execute, but Walther nails it. 

The chemistry and relationships throughout are relatable, rewarding to read, and complex. I loved Lily and Leda's interactions and contrast. 

Perfect for those who love:
- Gilmore Girls or Schitts Creek
- Taylor Swift (so many references)
- Second chance romance
- Boarding school setting
- Diverse representation
- Books hard to put down
- A miscommunication trope with growth and lightbulb moments

ARC provided by NetGalley. Pinch me, I’ve been chosen, I owe someone there a drink.

Getting to the acknowledgments and realizing the author’s late father inspired this book made me ugly cry at midnight — so that’s the answer to what happens after midnight for me. As the daughter who lost her jester and storyteller too, I now view this story as a love letter from the author to her father. And now I’m crying again.

K.L. Walther is as reliable to me as Taylor Swift. She just delivers. If Walther writes it, that means it’s sweet, funny (it actually makes me giggle, not just blow air out of my nose!), has lovable characters, Taylor Swift references, and the absolute best settings. Bonus, this one has multiple cats involved.

So, the acknowledgments might have made me ugly cry, but I was so happy at the end of What Happens After Midnight!

The story is cute and adventurous — I love love loved that the miscommunication between two characters was addressed, discussed, and solved! That really does not happen enough in romance novels lately. Please, for all that is good in the world, give me as much healthy communication as you can. This genre is being starved of it.

In summary, K.L. Walther can do no wrong even though she made me cry and you should read this book if you want to be happy.

A GREAT sophomore effort by K.L. Walther! I absolutely loved "The Summer of Broken Rules" , and "What Happens After Midnight" does not disappoint. The setting for this book is still beachside New England, this time on the campus of a posh private school, Ames Academy.
It's the end of senior year for Lily Hopper (whose mother teaches at Ames, making her a "fac-brat"), and while it seems as if Lily's made all the right moves-never been in trouble, salutatorian, and all-around good kid- she's beginning to think perhaps the chance to have some real fun has passed her by. Luckily for her, Lily is tapped by "The Jester" to help pull off the end of year senior prank...and that's where the fun begins. Walther manages to evoke that bittersweet, end-of-an-era feeling that is so reminiscent of big endings, while swirling in a tender romance, loyal friendships, and a strong mother-daughter bond.
Some sex/making out scenes that I thought were handled well should still be taken into account before recommending to younger readers.